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Selfies and social media: how tourists indulge their influencer fantasies

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-canavan-228682">Brendan Canavan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-nottingham-1192">University of Nottingham</a></em></p> <p>A town in the US state of Vermont <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/vermont-town-banning-influencers-tourists-visiting-fall-foliage-rcna117413">closed its roads to tourists</a> in September 2023 after a social media tag sparked a swarm of visitors that overwhelmed the rural destination.</p> <p>Videos on TikTok were seen by thousands and the hashtag #sleepyhollowfarm went viral, prompting a tourist rush to the pretty New England town of Pomfret, where visitors tried to take photos of themselves against the countryside backdrop. The town, famous for its fall foliage, criticised this as problematic and “influencer tourism”, part of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738320300426">a travel trend</a> where a social media phenomenon can spark an overwhelming and unexpected rise in visitor numbers.</p> <p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0002764292036002005?casa_token=gQo4-8jeYdIAAAAA:Oq3Nf5gTtAFK7N00D1NgPO7_zl9ONlOEnzFZnojX6fX1nKXQWJZ4ERn52MlV3abn4fDN4_C4hJjq">Traditionally</a>, we think of tourists as travelling to gain new experiences. They look at sites, take photographs and collect souvenirs. However, this relationship between the tourist and touring is changing.</p> <p>Driven by <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/how-instagram-changed-the-tourism-industry/a-65348690">24-hour access to social media</a>, some tourists now travel primarily to have an experience that <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/travel/discover/get-inspired/Global-Travel-Trends">looks good online</a>. Around 75% of people in a recent American Express survey said they had been inspired to visit somewhere by social media. Some tourists may be prompted to choose a destination by seeing a <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/travel-food/a27561982/best-instagram-spots/">backdrop that is popular on social media or on television</a>, in order to create a high-status photo.</p> <p>The expansion of social media and ubiquity of smartphone cameras has had a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/13/7312">major impact on tourists’ behaviour</a>. This has also led to what’s been called a <a href="https://www.traveldailynews.com/column/articles/who-are-the-selfie-gaze-tourists/">selfie “tourist gaze”</a>, creating photos where the traveller is at the forefront of images rather than the destination.</p> <p>Indeed, according to my research, increasingly, some tourists go somewhere <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738320300426">to be spotted</a> – to be observed by others both online and in person at these destinations.</p> <h2>Looking for drama</h2> <p>Studies have highlighted how tourists <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517715300388?casa_token=W51WkDKJSK8AAAAA:DG99dEWkyYKWIe6hNcLXR4KRApXV24QksHIzrRNcjVY3FngukDgIv9HLHG4o3NV4rqNJtdet">head for</a> particularly dramatic or luxurious destinations because of their social media links. Dubai, for example, with its bling culture and high-end shopping, has become a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/17/in-this-world-social-media-is-everything-how-dubai-became-the-planets-influencer-capital">playground for influencers</a> looking for a luxury backdrop to add to their celebrity-style image.</p> <p>Some tourists aim to photograph themselves in prestigious locations, rather than taking shots of their <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/13567667221113079?casa_token=xbdUjWECQvMAAAAA:mc4rqleOqgjazW9DAYduW7LaPTu4KEw1DIfbPbWF0vl0efwNPC_GQ0U-HjltguwsIsCoO4ycXgyW7Q">travel surroundings</a>. Others choose to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738320300426">act like mini-celebrities</a> and perform for the camera, expecting and wanting to be looked at by those they encounter – or even narrating their participation in extreme events.</p> <p>One of these is the <a href="https://www.theadventurists.com/rickshaw-run/">Rickshaw Run</a>, a 2,000km race across India. This adventure tourism event encourages participants to dress up, act eccentrically and get noticed. Driving tuk-tuks around India, from Kerala to Darjeeling, vehicles are personalised with eye-catching designs. Many participants film themselves and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p3wd0ii2oQ">upload the results</a> to social media, and the events tend to create a significant following. For instance, this YouTube video series created by Rickshaw Run participants drew 3.6m subscribers:</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2p3wd0ii2oQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Taking part in the Rickshaw Run.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>However, some of these tourist “performances” can cause controversy. For instance, <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/mexico-tourist-beaten-with-stick-for-climbing-chichen-itza-pyramid/EL5KGLB4CNC5ZONNZCKAMX3LLE/">climbing over</a> fragile archaeological sites in search of social media content might damage them. <a href="https://www.unilad.com/news/russian-tourist-deported-nude-photo-bali-064402-20230330">Posing for laughs</a> in areas considered sacred can offend. The reducing of cultures to <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/selfie-tourists-get-up-easter-islanders-noses-sgfxdtkj7">backdrops for social media content</a> can suggest a lack of interest in or respect for hosts by tourists.</p> <p>My research points to a growth in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09669582.2016.1263309">narcissism in society</a>, and connects this with what tourists desire from travel and how they act when travelling. This may be reflected in increased sense of entitlement and exhibitionism by tourists who aim to take photos in more difficult to reach locations or off-limit areas, for instance.</p> <p>Selfie culture arguably promotes <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09528822.2015.1082339?casa_token=tbsXw1drBAEAAAAA:qfSfJBbHWi3x8MSVeoyHBIceP7W_8C55rVctylf-2zRBzx-aG_EeFwvTmHHsOdjQpMd8LVaUrjSo">self-involvement rather than social responsibility</a>. It is well established that tourists <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1368350050408668198?casa_token=K4p5aZCN8t4AAAAA:96p7f3qNu2WndpE-C-D0rs5mJaOlnJ5F6P4iXQlWQopseMGWuJ_5TiaFmRggxFsEjrMCoAr14Kn4">can be selfish</a>, putting their own comfort and entertainment ahead of concerns about local issues. This is especially true of the super-rich. Private jet users <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/private-jets-can-the-super-rich-supercharge-zero-emission-aviation/">are responsible for</a> half of global aviation emissions.</p> <p>However, the desire to promote the individual and their values could be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09669582.2016.1263309">harnessed to promote</a> more sustainable tourism. Those volunteering abroad might be motivated by the image enhancement opportunities of doing good, but they often offer something back to the social and natural environments of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09669580903395030?casa_token=NvJorz8d1F4AAAAA:AXXTdW7ePimqFkWNg1W5w8umGCBwXIjus0WICRIoNZH_gsdr1hHomvMAQV21PYA2HkLwBGsO_Qus8g">their host destinations</a> in the process.</p> <p>There are signs that there’s another tourism trend, with travellers looking for deep and meaningful experiences, and ecotourism could help provide those. The act of travelling in a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669582.2020.1825458">more environmentally friendly way</a> could also be seen as a way to show off, and still provide selfie material.</p> <p>The environmental pros and cons of tourist self-obsession might be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09669582.2016.1263309">debatable</a>. However, self-fixation is arguably not good for tourists themselves. For example, the desire to “perform” on camera could affect people’s mental health, according to one <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10253866.2018.1467318?casa_token=wI7sETKEKJAAAAAA:ebds6fykbyHAGSXIk9iv6-tyziFSIvganp32S65hiX8KeWlaQDwhPxF_2tWEgkNqssqd-SCE-w_3Eg">study</a>.</p> <p>Research has shown that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14616688.2012.762691?casa_token=Jb9SzAGXBD0AAAAA:L5Q-HhPs9jWtfm0Zq4nB0uFHrZ3W8N7o1Liq0KAIRqC4ivEhKyEexEZN-ACoz1qzm7CMqD96zXOm">unexpected encounters help tourists to gain self-insight</a>. In addition, getting out of your comfort zone can lead to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213078020300074?casa_token=MkMbkdyr_cMAAAAA:LLu44kUbbsP5e-iW-kDdI7iSEo3WkLgH5IvKqb2txZA504q74J4OAhTuXIx8m90oDMSvuiq4Mg">rewarding personal growth</a>.</p> <h2>A disconnect between self and place</h2> <p>Taking yet more selfies could cut people off from their surroundings. In doing so, they could be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016073831730097X?casa_token=tOaqrhfVQ-wAAAAA:uxb7djQMWjifvjjgPMZzbq2IQqlgoaGHzWoJkkGbQYQqkbZoeuOqLD91zqwBuWs1SfY7dcK4">less present in the travel experience itself</a>. Indeed, the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2021-10-29/rise-of-selfie-deaths-leads-experts-to-talk-about-a-public-health-problem.html">growing number</a> of <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/15/asia/french-man-selfie-death-intl-scli/index.html">selfie-related tourist deaths</a> might attest to a disconnect between self and place. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6131996/#:%7E:text=selfie-related%20deaths.-,From%20October%202011%20to%20November%202017%2C%20there%20have%20been%20259,respectively%2C%20in%202016%20and%202017">2018 report</a> estimated 259 deaths to have occurred while taking selfies between 2011-2017.</p> <p>Other research suggests that individuals who are motivated by the desire to present a particular online image may be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211973620301458?casa_token=-HkTUB7WC7cAAAAA:455BE0L2jP-CL1nD18__Ey3fj5GsLmYfKL_EB_P7IWa7lDddpJYIW3UIo5fUjg68e7Nvm7PUlTA#s0050">more likely to take risks</a> with their travel selfies, with potentially fatal consequences.</p> <p>Tourists have always been somewhat self-obsessed. The 18th-century <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0160738385900027">Grand Tour</a>, a leisurely trip around Europe, allowed the wealthy to <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/what-was-the-grand-tour/">indulge themselves</a> in <a href="https://www.salon.com/2002/05/31/sultry/">ways</a> that might not have been socially acceptable back home. And at the beginning of the 21st century, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738301000305?casa_token=C5eb2NJQvGsAAAAA:YrdY-xjJwBrUE9RjwyOJ3kRBS4-o7e5Jni5sluTCuZOrgnCULybO8EgJtQqsuSL7B5nZJwiH3Q#BIB37">academics worried about</a> self-involved backpacker communities in southeast Asia having little interest in mixing with local people.</p> <p>What is different about smartphones and social media is that these allow some tourists to present such self-indulgent, and sometimes insensitive, tourism traits immediately. Wifi and mobile data mean that these tourists can travel with one eye on finding the perfect selfie backdrop – filtering and sharing their travel as it happens, responding to likes and comments.</p> <p>For better or worse, living this influencer fantasy may have become an integral part of tourism for some time.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214681/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-canavan-228682"><em>Brendan Canavan</em></a><em>, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-nottingham-1192">University of Nottingham</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/selfies-and-social-media-how-tourists-indulge-their-influencer-fantasies-214681">original article</a>.</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Debate erupts over groom's unconventional footwear choice

<p>In what seems to be a picture perfect wedding, eagle-eyed social media users spotted one odd detail. </p> <p>The couple were snapped standing at the altar, and while everything else about their outfit seemed flawless, one Reddit user called the groom out for wearing black Crocs and black socks to his wedding. </p> <p>“Imagine you get ready for three hours and your groom shows up in Crocs,” the user said. </p> <p>“Crocs would be a legit reason to say no at the altar,” another wrote, before adding: <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">“Crocs are a valid reason to not date someone. They are horrible.”</span></p> <p>“He’s wearing a suit, maybe he has a problem with his feet that he can’t wear proper footwear,” a third commented</p> <p>“Surely no one, no matter how casual in style, voluntarily leaves the house in Crocs?”</p> <p>However many other social media users were quick to defend the wedding faux pas, with some saying that they wish they had done the same thing at their own weeding. </p> <p>“He probably has an injured foot or broken toe. He’s perfectly groomed (a pun) otherwise and obviously tried to camouflage his socks and crocs with his attire," one sympathised. </p> <p>“Ya I have really severe diabetic neuropathy in my feet, especially my toes. Doctor actually suggested Crocs as they have extra space and don’t restrict movement," another added.</p> <p>“I wore flip flops under my dress. I hate heels with a passion,” a third wrote. </p> <p>"He's wearing a nice suit, matching dark socks so I'm not seeing an issue here as he probably has some kind of foot or back injury or pain. If I were marrying him this wouldn't bother me," added a fourth. </p> <p>“Let the man get married in something comfortable. My wife could have shown up in a potato sack barefoot for all I cared, she is there to marry me, not for a fashion show," a fifth defended. </p> <p><em>Image: Reddit</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

Robert Irwin stuns in runway debut

<p>Robert Irwin has stunned fans with his runway debut at the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival on Wednesday night. </p> <p>The beloved conservationist traded in his signature khakis for a more refined look, dressed in various outfits from Australian designers.</p> <p>Robert appeared as one of the models on the Suit Up Runway, alongside his<em> I’m A Celebrity</em> co-host Julia Morris.</p> <p>The runway, supported by Network 10, showcased “dressing at its finest”, and the young conservationist looked dapper when he stepped out in a black tuxedo paired with an oversized tweed bomber jacket.</p> <p>The 20-year-old looked even more dashing in a striking white tuxedo with a black blazer and waistcoat, and he completed the look with a trendy pair of sunglasses. </p> <p>His final look was blue velvet suit paired with white sneakers and a matching turtleneck. </p> <p>Fans were quick to share their reactions to Robert's latest role, with many complimenting him and labelling his runway appearance as "iconic". </p> <p>“Robert is so handsome!!!!” one wrote on Instagram.</p> <p>“He slayed the runway," another added. </p> <p>“Obsessed,” wrote a third. </p> <p>Robert was not the first to stun the audience with his runway appearance, as Elle Macpherson also <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/elle-macpherson-s-stunning-runway-return" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returned to the runway</a> for the first time in 14 years and kickstarting the PayPal Melbourne festival on Monday.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Elle Macpherson's stunning runway return

<p>It's been 14 years since Elle Macpherson last walked the runway and the Aussie supermodel is finally back! </p> <p>On Monday, the 59-year-old walked the run for the first time in forever and she did not miss a step. </p> <p>The supermodel strutted down the PayPal Runway to kickstart the 2024 Melbourne Fashion Festival at the Royal Exhibition Building.</p> <p>She looked chic in her first look which was a plunging layered plissé black dress and an oversized blazer by beloved Aussie brand Aje. </p> <p>She then rocked a pop of colour in a canary yellow oversized coat and matching trousers from Bianca Spender. In her final look she donned a fluffy sweater and scarf from Viktoria & Woods completed with a brown coat with a dramatic train.</p> <p>Ahead of her runway return, Macpherson said: “I’m honoured to support PayPal in promoting Australian fashion globally.</p> <p>"PayPal’s platform gives creative talents and small businesses the opportunity to grow internationally by building customer trust," she added. </p> <p>“From personal experience, I know the challenges of taking a business global, and how valuable trusted partners are in that process.”</p> <p>In an interview with the <em>Herald Sun</em>, she told the publication that she was grateful for her Australian heritage and for Australian brands being given an opportunity to shine. </p> <p>PayPal supports over 150,000 Australian fashion businesses and has a total of 380 million shoppers worldwide.</p> <p>Shane Capron, the senior director of consumer engagement at PayPal praised Macpherson's work. </p> <p>“Elle was fabulous – so excited that we were able to bring her back to the catwalk for the PayPal Runway on the eve of her 60th birthday. What an Australian icon. Such an inspiration,” Capron said. </p> <p>“This year the PayPal runway is all about celebrating the success of Australian fashion brands that have achieved success on the global stage – just like Elle.</p> <p>"Not only is Elle an Australian who became a world-famous supermodel, she is also an incredible businesswoman who has launched globally successful brands.”</p> <p>Her partnership with PayPal will also support UNICEF in a multinational fundraising campaign later this year.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Beauty & Style

"What a life lived!": Fashion icon dies age 102

<p>New York designer and style icon Iris Apfel has passed away aged 102. </p> <p>Her death was confirmed by her commercial agent, Lori Sale, who called Apfel "extraordinary", although no cause of death was given. </p> <p>Apfel, who was born on August 29, 1921, was known for her eccentric outfits, oversized black-rimmed glasses, bright red lipstick and short white hair. </p> <p>Her death was also announced on the fashion icon's official Instagram page, on Friday US time, just one day after she celebrated her 102nd-and-a-half birthday. </p> <p>"Working alongside her was the honour of a lifetime. I will miss her daily calls, always greeted with the familiar question: 'What have you got for me today?'" Sale said in a statement.</p> <p>"She was a visionary in every sense of the word. She saw the world through a unique lens — one adorned with giant, distinctive spectacles that sat atop her nose."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3_geMFu15Y/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3_geMFu15Y/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Iris Apfel (@iris.apfel)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p> </p> <p>Apfel was an expert on textiles and antique fabrics. She and her husband Carl owned textile manufacturing company, Old World Weavers, which specialised in restoration work, including projects at the White House under six different US presidents.</p> <p>Apfel first rose to fame in 2005 when the curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute hosted a show about her called "Rara Avis". Latin for "rare bird". </p> <p>They showcased the personal collection of vintage and designer accessories which were style on mannequins dressed in clothes Apfel would wear, and the exhibit became an instant success.</p> <p>Following the exhibit Apfel was awarded several opportunities including featuring in a 2007 coffee table book, a 2012 MAC Cosmetics campaign, and a 2014 documentary about her life, which was nominated for an Emmy award three years later. </p> <p>Apfel was also gained popularity among the younger generation, with over 3 million followers on Instagram, and over 250,000 on TikTok. </p> <p>"More is more & Less is a Bore," the bio read across her social media platforms. </p> <p>Despite her age, Apfel never retired, and told <em>Today</em>: "I think retiring at any age is a fate worse than death. Just because a number comes up doesn't mean you have to stop."</p> <p>Tributes have poured in from fans across the world. </p> <p>"What a life lived! What an example set! What footsteps you have left behind! Rest peacefully, icon!" one wrote. </p> <p>"She inspired so many women to be bold, and brave and truly authentic….to ignore the number of years we have lived and view age as an opportunity to shine. What a beautiful legacy," another added. </p> <p>"What a blessing to live that long and look that fabulous doing it," wrote a third. </p> <p>The style icon was married to Carl Apfel for 67 years until his death in 2015. They had no children. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

Influencer's tragic update following son's death at six weeks old

<p>Aussie Influencer Veruca Salt has shared an emotional tribute to her son who <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/influencer-announces-tragic-death-of-six-week-old-son" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died in his sleep</a> at just six-weeks-old. </p> <p>The 25-year-old, real name Kimberley Summer Hartley, shared a video of the funeral service for her son Cash, with Taylor Swift’s rock ballad <em>Long Live </em>playing in the background.</p> <p>At one moment, Hartley can be seen being consoled by her friends, as black and white balloons were released into the air. </p> <p>The board at the service showed a picture of Cash with the words "A celebration of life", followed by the baby boy's full name, the date he was born and passed away, and “forever dancing with the fruits”. </p> <p>The video ends with a black and white video of Cash being comforted by his mum and smiling as she stroked his cheek. </p> <p> </p> <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important; width: 573px; max-width: 100%;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7337251408909028609&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40verucasalt444%2Fvideo%2F7337251408909028609&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2F3377edfbc6c44ee3a82e4a4c625f5884_1708336979%3Fx-expires%3D1708552800%26x-signature%3DffE%252BCUSJ9VgzUsT3qdjowDvQ2d8%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>Fans took to the comments to share their condolences for the grieving mum. </p> <p>“Oh Veruca, if I could take even minutes off my life to give you more time with him I would in a heartbeat,” one wrote. </p> <p>“Rest in paradise with the dancing fruits, beautiful boy,” said another.</p> <p>"Rest In Paradise Baby Cash. Please visit your Mommy in her dreams and keep her safe always. Sending love Veruca," commented a third. </p> <p>"I’m so sorry! What a beautiful send off for a gorgeous boy," added a fourth.</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

Influencer announces tragic death of six-week-old son

<p>TikTok influencer Veruca Salt, real name Kimberley Summer Hartley, took to Instagram to announce the tragic death of her six-week-old son, Cash. </p> <p>The Gold Coast - based influencer, 25, shared the tragic news just one day after she posted a TikTok of her taking her newborn bub out for his first hospital visit, as he hadn't pooped in seven days. </p> <p>On Monday morning she revealed that her son “died in his sleep”. </p> <p>“It is with a heavy heart that I’m writing this,” she wrote.</p> <p>“My baby died in his sleep on Monday morning. I don’t know what happened, he is having an autopsy this week but it is unlikely that I’ll ever have an answer.</p> <p>“I’m just saying this because people are still commenting on my TikToks saying how happy I look with him and ‘just wait for the toddler stage’ and stuff and I (really) can’t take it anymore. I’m really sorry.”</p> <p>In her most recent <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@verucasalt444/video/7332609198599032065?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7142332295764346370" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>, she shared a clip of her grieving her son's death with the caption: "I knew he was dead but there was a part of me that really thought they were gonna wake him up." </p> <p>Fans have shared their condolences. </p> <p>"We are all standing by you Veruca. Take all the time you need ❤️" one wrote on TikTok. </p> <p>"I’ve never cried harder for a woman i don’t know, I'm so sorry Veruca the love you have for him never goes unnoticed," another commented. </p> <p>"Sending love this is the worst thing in the world to happen to anyone," a third added. </p> <p>"I'm so so sorry no mother should have to go through this💔" a fourth wrote. </p> <p>Queensland Police have confirmed the death, after they were called to a Southport unit at around 6.13am on February 5.</p> <p>The death is not being treated as suspicious.</p> <p>Police are currently awaiting autopsy results, Superintendent Craig Hanlon told the <em>Gold Coast Bulletin</em>. </p> <p>“It’s obviously a tragic situation and our hearts go out to the mother and the family.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ TikTok</em></p>

Caring

Deb Knight urges Influencers to stop "glorifying tanning"

<p>Deborah Knight, 51, has spoken out against influencers who glorify tanning as she shared the results from her annual skin check. </p> <p>The TV and radio presenter, shared a series of photos showing the sun damage on her skin, as she reminded her followers to stay sun safe and get their skin checked. </p> <p>"Got off pretty lightly from my annual skin check. Just a few barnacles zapped but nothing serious this time round," she began in the caption. </p> <p>"Timely reminder to get your skin checked and protect it from the sun in the first place," she added, before tagging two melanoma treatment specialists and the Melanoma Institute Australia. </p> <p>She signed off the post with the hashtag #stopglorifyingtanning. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2n1Rtth20D/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2n1Rtth20D/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Deborah Knight (@deborah_knight)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The <em>Money News </em>2GB<em> </em>host has regularly shared her skin journey and has previously opened up about the "true extent" of the "damaging effects of the sun" on <em>9Honey</em>.</p> <p>"As a blonde, fair-skinned child growing up by the beach, I resisted putting on zinc and sunscreen as much as my own children do now," she said in the interview in 2023. </p> <p>She added that she now has to pay the price and has to get her age spots frozen off every year. </p> <p>"I've had a Basal Cell Carcinoma surgically removed from the bridge of my nose, leaving a scar far worse than the damage it could have done if left untreated, possibly spreading and destroying skin, tissue, even bone," she said. </p> <p>She also spoke out about the influencers who glorify tanning. </p> <p>"These are often the same influencers who recommend spending a fortune on anti-ageing treatments and creams and serums, despite willingly exposing their skin to the most damaging ageing element there is – the harsh Aussie sun," she added. </p> <p>According to the <a href="https://melanomaresearch.com.au/about-melanoma/what-is-melanoma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Melanoma Research Foundation</a>, one in 17 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetimes, with melanoma reportedly the third most common cancer in the country, following prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Retailer pulls "creepy" and "disturbing" ad for school uniforms

<p>H&M has removed a school uniform ad in Australia after social media users slammed the retailer for sexualising children. </p> <p>The ad, which a few social media users have screenshot before it was removed, features two young girls in school uniform looking back at the camera with the caption: "Make those heads turn in H&M's Back to School fashion." </p> <p>Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, slammed the ad calling it it "creepy" and "disturbing", and sharing their own stories about "being ogled" at school. </p> <p>"What is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad?" Australian writer Melinda Tankard Reist, whose work addresses sexualization and the harms of pornography, shared on X. </p> <p>"Little schoolgirls generally don't want to 'turn heads.' The large numbers I engage with in schools want to be left alone to learn and have fun and not draw unwanted attention to their appearance."</p> <p>"The little girls parents generally prefer heads don't 'turn' when others see their daughters walking to school, on a bus or in class," she continued. </p> <p>"Why would you want to fuel the idea that little girls should draw attention to their looks, bodies and 'style'?"</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hmaustralia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hmaustralia</a> what is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad? Little schoolgirls generally don’t want to “turn heads”. The large numbers I engage with in schools want to be left alone to learn and have fun and not draw unwanted attention to their appearance 1/ <a href="https://t.co/DDwv42GeNz">pic.twitter.com/DDwv42GeNz</a></p> <p>— Melinda TankardReist (@MelTankardReist) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelTankardReist/status/1747866459836158415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>Another user wrote: "This is really disturbing.</p> <p>"I remember being cat called whilst waiting for the bus in my school uniform. It made me feel unsafe." </p> <p>"Girls go to school to get an education, not to be jeered at by onlookers," they concluded. </p> <p>The Swedish fashion giant has since removed the ad and apologised for the campaign. </p> <p>"We have removed this ad," they told CNN. </p> <p>"We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and we are looking into how we present campaigns going forward."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Legal

Gina Rinehart snaps up another iconic Aussie brand

<p>Not long after being crowned<em> The Australian Financial Review’s (AFR)</em> Business Person of the Year, Gina Rinehart has made another big move in the fashion industry. </p> <p>The mining magnate has purchased heritage shoe brand Rossi Boots, which has been operating since 1910, as part of her “commitment to preserving iconic national brands”. </p> <p>“(This) ensures that Rossi’s manufacturing excellence remains in Australian hands and will see it expand into new markets,” Rinehart’s company S. Kidman and Co said. </p> <p>Rossi Boots was founded by Arthur Rossiter, and sell high-quality leather boots for both men and women.</p> <p>They even supplied hundreds of boots to Australian soldiers during World War I and World War II, which Rinehart said is a “recognition of our national history”.</p> <p>“Rossi Boots is more than just a brand, it represents a cherished part of rural Australia’s way of life,” she said.</p> <p>“We are committed to nurturing its legacy by maintaining operations in Australia and are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead for Rossi Boots under the umbrella of S. Kidman and Co.”</p> <p>The acquisition of Rossi's boots follows Rinehart's recent purchase of another heritage fashion brand, Driza-Bone, known for their oil-skin jackets, which has been a staple in Aussie wardrobes for 125 years. </p> <p>“We want to keep and preserve its magnificent past but we also want to rejuvenate it,” she said. </p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

“I’m being racist to eggs”: Wellness influencer slammed for innocent comment

<p>An Australian influencer has been forced to address a "racist" comment she made about her son's lunch. </p> <p>Health and fitness influencer Sarah Stevenson, who is known by her millions of followers as Sarah's Day, was filming herself as she made lunch for her son.</p> <p>The 31-year-old stopped herself as she made her child a curried egg sandwich, saying he be dubbed “the smelly boy in the playground” if he took the meal to school.</p> <p>“Do you want to be ‘smelly curried egg boy’?” she asked him.</p> <p>While the seemingly innocent comment went unnoticed by many of her followers, one person sent her a message demanding an apology for her "borderline racist" comment. </p> <p>The entrepreneur and mum-of-two replied to the private message in a video response to her followers explaining that she meant the “egg smell” and didn't mean anything racist. </p> <p>“Didn’t everyone go to school with someone who brought eggs in their lunch and you’re like, ‘ew, you smell like rotten eggs’... not ‘you smell like curry!’,” she said in the video on her Instagram Stories.</p> <p>She said sarcastically, “I’m being racist to eggs.”</p> <p>Stevenson then doubled down on the follower’s outrage, following that with a cooking tutorial for “racist eggs”.</p> <p>The late night social media saga was re-shared by a popular account, where it was dubbed “egg gate” and plenty more people weighed in on the drama. </p> <p>“She should have apologised and taken it down instead she’s made it worse,” one commenter wrote.</p> <p>The general consensus from the public was that the original racism accusation “was a definite reach”, but she went too far with her explanation. </p> <p>“Honestly don’t think there was any malice in the original comment — she definitely scrambled (ha!), way too far in explaining herself afterwards though,” someone wrote.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Food & Wine

What to wear for a climate crisis

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachael-wallis-568028">Rachael Wallis</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p>When people move to the country from the city, they need to change their wardrobes, my <a href="https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/area.12540">research on tree-changers</a> in Australia found. The new context of their lives means the clothes they wore for the city no longer work for their new lives. This is also true in the climate crisis.</p> <p>Our context has changed. When we decide what clothes to buy, we now need to bring into play a wider range of values than the appearance of a garment, its newness and novelty and whether we like it or not. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/">states</a>, if we are to have any hope of avoiding a world that is too hot and unpredictable to live in, we need to do everything we possibly can, right now, to cut greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.</p> <p>The fashion industry contributes <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.973102/full">up to 10% of global emissions</a> – more than international aviation and shipping combined. It also contributes to biodiversity loss, pollution, landfill issues, unsafe work practices and more.</p> <p>Australia’s carbon footprint from the consumption and use of fashion is the <a href="https://hotorcool.org/unfit-unfair-unfashionable/">world’s biggest</a>, a dubious distinction in a materialistic world.</p> <p>So this is an area where the choices we make can have big impacts. While individual action will not solve all of the above problems, it will help as we move towards the structural and systemic change needed to live sustainably.</p> <p>If we are concerned about these issues, responding thoughtfully means we will live our lives according to our values. And that’s an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6326475/">important factor</a> in living well, flourishing and being happy.</p> <p><iframe id="datawrapper-chart-teOOs" style="border: none;" title="Carbon footprints from fashion consumption in G20 nations" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/teOOs/2/" width="100%" height="589" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Stacked Bars" data-external="1"></iframe></p> <h2>Lessons from wartime</h2> <p>It’s not the first time people have adapted their clothing in response to the demands of a crisis.</p> <p>During the second world war, <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-clothes-rationing-affected-fashion-in-the-second-world-war">clothing styles changed</a> in the United Kingdom and Australia. To conserve precious resources, shorter skirts, minimal detailing and a focus on utility became the norm.</p> <p>People adapted their personal aesthetics and appearance because the situation was grave and they wanted to “do their bit” to help with the war effort. This was a collective necessity in dire times.</p> <p>This wartime response reflected the priorities and values of society as a whole as well as most people in that society. In other words, buying less (rationing meant this was not just a choice), mending and making do with what was already there was part of a value system that contributed to the Allied victory.</p> <p>In novels and other writing from the era, it is clear that at times it was not easy and it could be frustrating. There was, however, a public consensus that it was necessary. This shared commitment to the war effort became a value that made personal sacrifices worthwhile and satisfying.</p> <h2>So what can we do today?</h2> <p>In our current context, the <a href="https://hotorcool.org/unfit-unfair-unfashionable/">most helpful thing we can do</a> is to buy fewer new clothes and wear them for longer.</p> <p>Australians buy a lot of clothes, about <a href="https://www.cleanup.org.au/fastfashion">56 items per year</a> on average. That makes Australians the <a href="https://hotorcool.org/unfit-unfair-unfashionable/">second highest textiles consumers in the world</a> after <a href="https://www.cleanup.org.au/fastfashion">the USA</a> , and is <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-international-stateless/2017/09/76e05528-fashion-at-the-crossroads.pdf">60% more than we bought even 15 years ago</a>. The <a href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/textiles-in-europes-circular-economy">price of clothes has dropped significantly</a> over the past couple of decades, and the <a href="https://hotorcool.org/unfit-unfair-unfashionable/">number of clothes</a> people have in their closets has grown.</p> <p>If we begin to shift away from our slavish devotion to newness and novelty – following the dictates of fashion – to a mindset of value-led sufficiency, we can appreciate more fully the feel of lived-in, mended or altered clothes. There is a feeling of comfort in pulling on an old garment that is soft with age and repeated washing. There is <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Loved_Clothes_Last/StfnDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=joy+of+creative+mending&pg=PT7&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=joy%20of%20creative%20mending&f=false">joy in extending a garment’s life</a> through creative mending, especially when that aligns with our values.</p> <p>The Berlin-based <a href="https://hotorcool.org/unfit-unfair-unfashionable/">Hot or Cool Institute</a> suggests a wardrobe of 74 garments (including shoes but excluding undergarments) is typically sufficient for people who live in a two-season climate (in the tropics) and 85 pieces for those who live in a four-season climate, as most Australians do. If we buy ten to 12 new items a year, we can replace our entire wardrobe in about seven years.</p> <p>Buying second-hand instead of new is even better because it doesn’t add to current production emissions. If we buy second-hand, it still doesn’t mean we should buy more than we need.</p> <h2>Choosing clothes to fit our values</h2> <p>To live authentic lives that are fulfilling and satisfying in deep and meaningful ways, we need to be true to our selves. In the case of clothing, we should evaluate our choices in relation to the values we hold. And if we do care about living sustainably, that means changing those choices we feel are no longer suited to the climate crisis.</p> <p>Clothes need to reflect a person’s situation as well as their identity to <a href="https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q4x53/the-phenomenological-and-discursive-practice-of-place-in-lifestyle-migration-a-case-study-of-stanthorpe-queensland">“work” well</a>. This may mean that what we wear changes as we make different buying decisions, just as people did in the second world war and as tree-changers do. We may start to look different, but that change signifies our values in action.</p> <p>Best of all, clothing choices that align with keeping global warming to less than 1.5 degrees will have a long-term impact as significant as winning the war.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214478/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachael-wallis-568028">Rachael Wallis</a>, Research Assistant, Youth Community Futures, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-to-wear-for-a-climate-crisis-214478">original article</a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Helen Mirren debuts new look on the runway at Paris Fashion Week

<p>Helen Mirren has proven yet again that style, glamour and beauty have no age limit, as she hit the runway at Paris Fashion Week to debut her new look. </p> <p>The 78-year-old acting legend showed off a wild crimped hairstyle as she donned a sparkly silver ballgown for L’Oreal's Walk Your Worth event, which took place under the Eiffel Tower on Sunday. </p> <p>Mirren beamed as she walked down the catwalk, exuding confidence and charm, with the who's-who of the fashion world watching on. </p> <p>Mirren appeared alongside fellow actress Elle Fanning, who also sparkled in a plunging gold fringed dress as the unexpected duo held hands. </p> <p>One fan tweeted, “Elle Fanning and Helen Mirren both played Catherine the Great in 2 TV series and I’m so here for this nod.”</p> <p>A host of other celebrities also walked in the fashion show, including Eva Longoria, Cindy Bruna, Andie MacDowell, Viola Davis, and many more. </p> <p>L’Oreal's event focused on women's empowerment, as messages of sisterhood and supporting women and female strength were displayed as stars walked the runway.</p> <p>The brand's website reads that the star-studded event is "inspiring all women to unapologetically show up in the world and walk towards their destiny in confidence" by "celebrating the beauty, the strength, and the potential of all women."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Beauty & Style

Entire town bans annoying influencers from entering its borders

<p>In the serene hamlet of Pomfret, Vermont, an extraordinary decision has been reached to combat the overwhelming presence of influencers and tourists who have inundated the town's peaceful streets.</p> <p>This picturesque countryside haven, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, has taken the audacious step of barring entry to all influencers and tourists.</p> <p>Pomfret, nestled in the heart of New England, has long been a magnet for visitors seeking to capture the exquisite autumnal tapestry that paints the town in warm, rustic hues – a perfect setting for their coveted "fall" photographs.</p> <p>Vermont, as a whole, typically draws more than 13 million tourists annually, and Pomfret, with its population of a mere 916, has witnessed a significant influx during the autumn months, particularly September and October.</p> <p>While the town has a history of welcoming tourists, the character of these visitors has undergone a profound transformation in the last half-decade. Gone are the days of nature enthusiasts and out-of-town guests staying at cozy local bed-and-breakfasts. Pomfret is now attracting a new breed of visitor: the social media luminaries eagerly hunting for content to grace their online profiles.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">‘Christian Girl Autumn’ influencer Caitlin Covington announces she is going to Vermont in October to take her annual Fall photos. 🍂 <a href="https://t.co/nZjRCWvPIE">pic.twitter.com/nZjRCWvPIE</a></p> <p>— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) <a href="https://twitter.com/PopCrave/status/1703840317907021849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Mike Doten, a resident whose family has deep roots in the area, humorously dubs this emerging group "TikTockers" and cites them as the catalyst behind this drastic measure.</p> <p>Cloudland Road, a narrow, unpaved stretch renowned for its spectacular views of picturesque farms, rolling hills and vibrant foliage, was once a tranquil destination for nature enthusiasts. However, it has now become an internet sensation and a must-visit spot for "leaf-peepers" across the state.</p> <p>Unfortunately, this newfound fame has brought a series of issues in its wake. The new wave of tourists is often described as rude, disrespectful, impatient and selfish. They go to great lengths to capture the perfect photograph or video, often disregarding the impact on those around them.</p> <p>Local farmer Cathy Emmons recounted an incident where an influencer trespassed onto private property, erecting a makeshift changing booth and emerging in different outfits for her selfies. There have also been reports of tourists casually invading farms and helping themselves to produce, with one individual spotted plucking tomatoes from Cathy's farm.</p> <p>Another resident recalled a particularly unsettling incident when a drone hovered just feet above his head during an evening dinner with his family. In a separate incident, a tourist parked illegally in a resident's driveway and, astonishingly, used the garden shed as a makeshift toilet.</p> <p>The surge in tour buses and cars has caused gridlock on Pomfret's narrow roads, rendering them impassable and obstructing the movement of emergency vehicles. In response, the local council issued a memo announcing road closures to motor vehicle traffic from September 23rd to October 15th, specifically targeting Cloudland Road in Pomfret and the entire length of Cloudland Road in Woodstock, both heavily frequented tourist areas.</p> <p>Furthermore, the town has implemented temporary parking restrictions, signage and barriers. The memo cited concerns related to safety, environmental impact, aesthetics, and overall quality of life, emphasising a comprehensive effort to address these issues in collaboration with residents, local government partners and through communication on various information platforms.</p> <p>These traffic mitigation measures will also restrict access to the famed Sleepy Hollow Farm, a private residence that has become a hotspot for influencers seeking the perfect selfie backdrop. In response to these challenges, local residents have launched a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-cloudland-road" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe campaign titled "Save Cloudland Road"</a> to raise funds for road closures and traffic enforcement during the autumn season.</p> <p>The campaign's description highlights the surge of Instagram and TikTok-driven tourists, many of whom derive income from sponsorships and have transformed a private residence on Cloudland Road into a sought-after social media photo destination. The influx has led to overcrowding, accidents, damage to roads, gardens, and private property, as well as confrontations with residents.</p> <p>Can the community surrounding Cloudland Road, in partnership with the towns of Pomfret and Woodstock, restore tranquility, safety and civility to their cherished enclave? Their plea is clear: to regain peace for the families who call this idyllic corner of Vermont home.</p> <p><em>Images: GoFundMe / Instagram</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Princess Diana’s twin nieces' major announcement

<p dir="ltr">Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer have announced that Australia’s most prestigious race wear event, Fashions on the Field will go global for the first time ever. </p> <p dir="ltr">The competition will be open to international fashion-lovers as they will be accepting digital entries, with a new category allowing them to compete for the Best Dressed and Best Suited awards. </p> <p dir="ltr">The international winners will then be flown to Flemington during Cup Week to experience the glitz and glam of the races, and compete in person during the live final against Australian state and territory finalists on Thursday November 9. </p> <p dir="ltr">Princess Diana's twin nieces championed the prospects of international entries to the prestigious event and worked together with the Lexus Melbourne Cup trophy to make it a reality. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Racewear fashion really is its own fashion category and I know there will be some amazing international entries for the Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field competition," Lady Eliza said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was great to discover some wonderful Australian labels at our Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field shoot in London and I can't wait to see the style and creativity of entrants this year," Lady Amelia added. </p> <p dir="ltr">Victoria Race Club Chairman Neil Wilson also shared his excitement for opening up the event to internationals. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Fashion is a universally appreciated expression of people's individual style and we look forward to racing enthusiasts across the globe showcasing their unique take on race wear on track at Flemington or virtually, which will include the new international competition for the first time," he said. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Victoria Racing Club</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Home and Away star's glam post on daughter's big day

<p><em>Home and Away a</em>ctress Lynne McGranger could not hide her joy as she celebrated her daughter's wedding over the weekend. </p> <p>The beautiful ceremony marked the union of her daughter, 32-year-old Clancy McWaters, and her fitness coach beau, Luke Dickson.</p> <p>In a few gorgeous snaps of Clancy's big day posted on Instagram, Lynne can be seen tenderly assisting her daughter into her beautiful Rue De Seine wedding dress. </p> <p>The doting mum cherished the moment shared between the two with a heartfelt caption that read: "Getting my baby girl ready for her big day." </p> <p>“Thank you @dianelewiscouture for my gorgeous MOB outfit and @donnygalella for your styling genius.”</p> <p>The <em>Home and Away </em>star looked stunning in a magenta Daniel Lewis Couture pantsuit, which she complemented with a pearl necklace and bracelet. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CweO3hxJiTT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CweO3hxJiTT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lynne McGranger (@lynnemcgranger)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>A flood of heartwarming messages poured in from Lynne's friends and fans. </p> <p>"Gorgeous Lynne. Congratulations to your beautiful family," <em>The Morning Show</em> host Kylie Gillies praised. </p> <p>“What a special moment and such a beautiful photo of you and Clancy. Well done Mama and congratulations Clancy and Luke,” fellow soap star Emily Symons commented. </p> <p>Co-star Ada Nicodemou who plays Leah in <em>Home and Away</em>, wrote: “What a beautiful photo and a beautiful day.”</p> <p>Ada, also attended the wedding and shared a picture of her celebrating Clancy's big day as she posed alongside Lynne. </p> <p>In a follow up post, Lynne shared a few snaps with her partner and Clancy's dad Paul McWaters, and a few other friends who they celebrated the special day with. </p> <p>"What a perfect, magical day it was. Our beautiful daughter @clancy.movement married her love, our handsome son in law @_luked," she captioned the post. </p> <p>"Surrounded our family and Luke’s family and all our close friends we witnessed the gorgeous marriage of Luke and Clancy.</p> <p>"We laughed, we ate, we drank , we danced and we partied - all in celebration of the 2 gorgeous newlyweds," she added. </p> <p>She then thanked everyone who attended the wedding, adding that "our hearts are full". </p> <p> </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwhWUqGyjwP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwhWUqGyjwP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lynne McGranger (@lynnemcgranger)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"So gorgeous! Congratulations to your beautiful daughter and of course, your lovely self Lynne! Love you so very much on Home & Away, thank you for always giving me laugh!" commented one fan. </p> <p>"Congratulations. I wish them a long lifetime of good health & happiness ❤️" wrote another. </p> <p>"Ah, these are beautiful, Lynne! So, so happy you all had such a lovely day x," commented a third. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Why we should embrace the joy of dressing ‘outside of the lines’ like Gen Z

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steven-wright-1416088">Steven Wright</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-wales-1586">University of South Wales</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gwyneth-moore-1416089">Gwyneth Moore</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-wales-1586">University of South Wales</a></em></p> <p>Have you seen that <a href="https://www.voguescandinavia.com/articles/this-is-how-to-style-the-new-cargo-pant-according-to-these-danish-influencers">cargo pants are back</a>? Young people are once again swishing down hallways and they might even be wearing <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/crocs-lyst-hottest-product">Crocs</a> on their feet, because these are cool now too. For many this could be seen as dressing “badly” but Y2K (2000s fashion) is all the rage at the moment.</p> <p>Fashion has long been one of the most creative playgrounds to express yourself and also define your personal identity and status. Gen Z take this very seriously. However, they are no mere followers of fashion but are adventurously carving out their own trends and styles – joyfully playing with the way they dress and express themselves through their clothes.</p> <p>Gen Z are rejecting everything from outdated gender tropes <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/beauty/why-gen-z-yellow-will-never-be-millennial-pink/">to curated colour schemes</a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/22697168/body-positivity-image-millennials-gen-z-weight">the idea of the “perfect” body</a>.</p> <p>For several hundred years, it was the fashion industry who controlled what was on trend. It was <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/42978704">in bed with</a> the media, style icons, designers and the tycoons of the industry. This relationship has enabled trends to be predicted and for aesthetic movements to be planned and consumers to be catered for. The masses watched and waited to be told what was new and “hot”.</p> <p>This relationship is now being short-circuited by a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17569370.2022.2149837">generation of digital natives</a> who live in a world where the distinction between the digital and the physical is blended.</p> <p>Gen Z will not be dictated to, they are not anxiously waiting to be told they are on trend, on social media they are making heir own trends by breaking rules, embracing creativity and finding joy in dressing bravely.</p> <h2>The democratisation of fashion</h2> <p>Each generation has changed fashion. The baby boomers brought us flower power in the 1960s and 1970s using free love in contrast to their parents’ <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/30036343?searchText=free+love+counter+culture+fashion&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dfree%2Blove%2Bcounter%2Bculture%2Bfashion&ab_segments=0%2FSYC-6744_basic_search%2Ftest-1&refreqid=fastly-default%3A1b4986acdbd4197e33c408f8641061a6">clearly defined social and gender roles</a>.</p> <p>Boomers’ younger siblings brought us “punk” in the 1970s and 1980s, a subculture dedicated to using the symbols of the state against itself and deliberately playing with the obscene and vulgar. This was amid a global political climate of conservatism and repression.</p> <p>Then <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/742606?searchText=baby+boomer+fashion+flower+power&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dbaby%2Bboomer%2Bfashion%2Bflower%2Bpower&ab_segments=0%2FSYC-6744_basic_search%2Ftest-1&refreqid=fastly-default%3Af122f7705806e1673dfa550b2fc44c16">again in the 1990s</a> we saw grunge, Gen X’s response to a futureless world post-cold war.</p> <p>Well, Gen X have had children and those kids have decided that they find joy in dressing outside of the lines (so to speak), you can be anything, you can be everything and you can be nothing.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9GUkkenYvlY?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Gen Z (and even millenials) have witnessed the ever-increasing democratisation of fashion through social media sharing and the global reach of online platforms. They have seen thousands of tiny subcultures formed online where they undergo a near constant cycle of evolution, explosion and reformation.</p> <p>Take the early <a href="https://www.instyle.com/fashion/clothing/emo-style">2000s “emo” trend</a>. Once a big subculture, it was thrust to the corners of the internet where everyone thought it would languish and die.</p> <p>However, emo is experiencing a revival with people wearing all black, corsets becoming cool again and heavy eye makeup being sported by the likes of Gen Z darlings <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/mariasherm2/willow-smith-bullied-my-chemical-romance-paramore-emo">Willow Smith</a> and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/12/juice-wrld-olivia-rodrigo-kid-laroi-emo-music/621069/">Olivia Rodrigo</a>.</p> <p>But Gen Z are not sticking to one style. Fashion has become a pick and mix of trends and ideas where an individual can use the ingredients to create and recreate identity as often as they desire. There is joy in dressing, not fear. There are no rules.</p> <h2>No rules</h2> <p>As new fashion consumers gleefully reinvent notions of good taste and beauty, the traditional trickle-down effect for trends has been replaced by a bubbling up from new sources defining what’s new and what’s next. From Instagrammers to icons, vloggers and TikTokkers, the <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JFMM-12-2020-0275/full/html">sources for trends are broad and varied</a>.</p> <p><iframe style="border: none;" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/7127790531932949766" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>Young people are creating <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14614448221146174">their own place in a new world</a>. A world where crocs are high fashion and what “goes” is in the eye of the beholder. Boxers as a headdress or leggings as scarf? sure. Why not even wear a <a href="https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/jw-anderson-ss23-womens-runway-collection/">keyboard</a> as a top? <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@saracampz/video/7127790531932949766">Maximalism</a> is being taken to new extremes as clothes are layered over more clothes and no colour, object or pattern is out of bounds.</p> <p>These are the COVID kids, a generation that came of age during a global calamity where the only form of communication was digital and two-dimensional.</p> <p>The loudest and boldest and most insane outfit is the one that will get you most attention on screen. For kids used to consuming media through TikToks rather than glossy editorials, <a href="https://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/ijbtm/article/view/20001">only the most dramatic, fun and playful will do</a>. Fashion has taken itself way too seriously for way too long. A cleansing fire of young, creative people is exactly what is needed right now. We should all take a page out their book and find joy in dressing in whatever we want.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199940/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steven-wright-1416088">Steven Wright</a>, Head of Subject - Fashion Marketing and Photography, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-wales-1586">University of South Wales</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gwyneth-moore-1416089">Gwyneth Moore</a>, Course coordinator - BA (Hons) Fashion Business & Marketing & BA (Hons) Fashion Design, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-wales-1586">University of South Wales</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-should-embrace-the-joy-of-dressing-outside-of-the-lines-like-gen-z-199940">original article</a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Vegan raw food influencer dies of suspected "starvation and exhaustion"

<p>Zhanna Samsonova, a well-known vegan raw food influencer with a significant following on social media, has tragically passed away in Malaysia reportedly due to starvation and exhaustion resulting from her 'extreme' tropical fruit diet.</p> <p>For a decade, Zhanna, also known as Zhanna D'Art, had maintained a raw plant-based diet, which mainly consisted of exotic fruits, sunflower seed sprouts, fruit smoothies, and juices. Additionally, she occasionally practiced 'dry fasting,' abstaining from food and water for extended periods.</p> <p>The 39-year-old influencer, who had not consumed water for over six years, replaced it solely with fruit and vegetable juices. On July 21, she succumbed to what her mother described as a cholera-like infection exacerbated by her highly restrictive eating habits.</p> <p>At the time of her passing, Zhanna was in Malaysia, continuing her travels across Asia, which had spanned 17 years. Her family faced bureaucratic challenges in repatriating her body back to Russia, making the mourning process even more difficult. At the time of writing, her official cause of death has not yet been determined.</p> <p>Zhanna's mother, Vera Samsonova, expressed her disapproval of her daughter's extreme diet and had attempted to persuade her to adopt a more balanced approach, but her efforts were in vain.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtLLqS1PecT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtLLqS1PecT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Raw food Creation by Zhanna D’art (@rawveganfoodchef)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Over time, the influencer transitioned from a vegan diet to a purely raw food diet, sharing what she believed were 'healthy' recipes on her Instagram profile. However, her social media presence started to reveal an increasingly emaciated appearance, raising concerns among her followers, friends, and family.</p> <p>Many of her loved ones warned her about the potential dangers of her extreme diet, but Zhanna remained steadfast in her convictions. Ultimately, her refusal to heed their advice led to a tragic outcome, with reports indicating that her raw food diet contributed significantly to her demise.</p> <p>In 2021, during a trip to Russia, Zhanna contracted COVID-19 and chose to handle it through an unorthodox method of dry fasting, lasting more than ten days. Despite initially claiming to have overcome the virus, her health may have been compromised, leading to further complications down the line.</p> <p>The passing of Zhanna Samsonova has sparked discussions about the importance of balanced and informed dietary choices. Her story serves as a cautionary tale, urging individuals to approach extreme diets with care and consideration for their overall well-being.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Belgium royal accused of copying the Princess of Wales

<p dir="ltr">A dress worn by Belgium’s Princess Delphine has caused a stir over its similarity to one of Princess Kate’s recent looks.</p> <p dir="ltr">The original designer of Kate’s dress, Andrew Gn, has called out Belgian design label Atelier ExC for creating a “shameless copy” of his work.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Singaporean designer expressed his anger via an Instagram story which has since expired.</p> <p dir="ltr">Princess Delphine wore a dress that featured colourful swirls and a blue trim that was embellished by matching blue crystals, during the country's National Day celebrations on Friday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her dress bared a striking resemblance to the Princess of Wales’ green dress with satin trimmings and jewelled button-like decorations, which she wore at Trooping the Colour in June.</p> <p dir="ltr">Not only that, Gn had also worked closely with hat designer Philip Treacy to create a wide-brimmed hat for Kate, and Princess Delphine was pictured with a similar looking hat on Friday.</p> <p dir="ltr">The stylist who designed Princess Delphine’s outfit has denied the claims and said that her look was “inspired” by vintage Chanel.</p> <p dir="ltr">"For Princess Delphine's dress we were inspired by the Chanel style of the '60s," Jody Van Geert told <em>Vanity Fair </em>Spain.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Both the designer of Kate's dress and Atelier ExC copied from the best. Therefore, it is purely coincidental that the dresses are similar.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And, in fact, there are differences, like the ruffles on Princess Delphine's dress."</p> <p dir="ltr">Some royal fans were quick to judge, taking to Instagram to express their critiques.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When you ordered Kate's dress from wish," wrote one person.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It seems the Shein version of Catherine's outfit,” echoed another.</p> <p dir="ltr">However there were a few others who defended Atelier ExC’s design choices.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm a huge fan of AG so I can see why one would be inspired by him. His work is breath-taking,” wrote one person.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Everybody is inspired by someone. Kate's green dress by Andrew Gn was inspired by a hundred dresses before him, even with the buttons,” commented another.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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How 1920s high society fashion pushed gender boundaries through ‘freaking’ parties

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dominic-janes-347508">Dominic Janes</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/keele-university-1012">Keele University</a></em></p> <p>The 1920s brought about a rise in androgynous fashion among a high society set that broke boundaries and caused controversy. This drew on a subculture that had existed for decades, perhaps centuries, but after the first world war gender-bending fashions became front page news.</p> <p>It was a time of upheaval. Established regimes were toppling across Europe. In Britain, women over 30 had finally been given the vote and there was widespread concern about the new hedonism of their younger “flapper” sisters.</p> <p>There was also a new market for novels, such as Radcylffe Hall’s <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/stories/articles/2019/4/1/radclyffe-hall-well-of-loneliness-legacy#:%7E:text=On%20November%2016%2C%201928%2C%20Biron,its%20immediate%20removal%20from%20circulation.">banned book</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20221121-the-well-of-loneliness-the-most-corrosive-book-ever">The Well of Loneliness</a> (1928) that focused on, rather than merely hinted at, queer lives. Daring male university students <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/tcbh/hwab036">started wearing makeup</a>. One of these was <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/cecil-beaton-an-introduction">Cecil Beaton</a>, the future celebrity photographer, who <a href="https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/ht24wj66t">delighted in cross-dressing</a> both on stage and off.</p> <p>Beaton became part of a set of high society socialites who were known as the “<a href="https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/cecil-beaton-bright-young-things/exhibition">bright young things</a>”. They were often socially privileged, many of them were queer and their antics were <a href="https://djtaylorwriter.co.uk/page10.htm">widely followed in the media</a> with a mixture of horror and fascination.</p> <p>The “things” took partying seriously and paid great attention to their outfits. They dressed to transgress. In 1920, high society magazine <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350172609/">The Sketch reported</a> that what it termed “freak parties” were suddenly in vogue with the younger set.</p> <p>Before the war, <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350172609/">articles had appeared</a> condemning unusual styles as “freak fashions”, but suddenly “<a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350248083/">freaking</a>” was all the rage.</p> <p>Until this point, menswear had been heavily circumscribed. Black was the default colour for formal occasions and tweed for informal settings. But suddenly there was a circle who were keen to try out new looks, no matter how bizarre – or queer-looking – the results.</p> <h2>Queer parties, queer fashions</h2> <p>These styles were often worn as fancy dress, but they borrowed looks from marginalised queer communities such as feminine-styled queer men, some of whom made a living by selling sexual services.</p> <p>One such man was Quentin Crisp, whose memoir <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/324730/the-naked-civil-servant-by-quentin-crisp/">The Naked Civil Servant</a> (1968) was dramatised as a <a href="http://www.crisperanto.org/news/NCSusa2007.html">pioneering TV drama</a>.</p> <p>Another source of inspiration was the <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo3682948.html">freak show</a>. These displays, horrifying from a 21st century point of view, were a popular element of circuses at the time. They featured such stock characters as the muscled giant and the bearded lady, some of whom <a href="https://www.thehumanmarvels.com/annie-jones-the-esau-woman/">became celebrities</a> in their own right.</p> <p>Masquerade and fancy dress parties had long been a feature of urban social life, but the bright young things innovated in that they impressed less through the expense of their outfits and more through their queer implications.</p> <p>Many such parties were themed, such as a Greek-themed freak party that was hailed as the greatest “Dionysia” of 1929 (Dionysus being the Greek god of sex and pleasure). Androgynous and cross dressing looks were common and men such as Beaton designed their own frocks.</p> <p>In July 1927, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Her-Husband-was-a-Woman-Womens-Gender-Crossing-in-Modern-British-Popular/Oram/p/book/9780415400077">one magazine declared</a> that an event attended by Beaton’s friend Stephen Tennant dressed as the Queen of Sheba and bisexual actress Tallulah Bankhead dressed as a male tennis star was: “one of the queerest of all the ‘freak’ parties ever given in London”.</p> <h2>The party’s over</h2> <p>The Wall Street crash of 1929 led to a rapid shift in public mood. Economic recession led people to favour sobriety over flamboyance. Money for the parties ran out and media attention faltered.</p> <p>Gender-bending style vanished from the fashionable arena, although it persisted on inner cities streets. Quentin Crisp’s mode of <a href="https://bodleianshop.co.uk/products/british-dandies">queer dandyism</a> was daring for its time, but it only became extraordinary by virtue of his unwillingness to modernise.</p> <p>Seemingly he, and pretty much he alone, continued to wear the queer looks of the interwar period into the television age. He duly <a href="http://www.crisperanto.org/news/AnEnglishmanInNYmovie.html">became a transatlantic celebrity</a> late in life when he became the inspiration for Sting’s song <a href="https://www.sting.com/discography/album/189/Singles">Englishman in New York</a> in 1987.</p> <p>Cecil Beaton, meanwhile, became a leading photographer for Vogue magazine and was commissioned to take official <a href="https://www.rct.uk/cecil-beaton-1904-80">coronation portraits of Elizabeth II</a>. He also designed the fantastic dresses worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film <a href="https://www.tatler.com/article/in-cecil-beatons-show-stopping-designs-for-my-fair-lady-lies-a-story-of-tantrums-and-top-hats">My Fair Lady</a> (1964), inspired by the gowns he and his compatriots had dreamed up for themselves some 40 years earlier.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205893/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dominic-janes-347508">Dominic Janes</a>, Professor of Modern History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/keele-university-1012">Keele University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty </em><em>Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-1920s-high-society-fashion-pushed-gender-boundaries-through-freaking-parties-205893">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Selfies and social media: how tourists indulge their influencer fantasies